Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)

Deputy Shortall referred to those in receipt of early childhood supplement losing the payment for the final three months. When the scheme was introduced — I am not stating that this was the correct way to proceed — a person could effectively be paid the allowance in respect of a child that had not yet been born. If one's child was due to be born in March, one received payment from the beginning of January. The Deputy cannot be seriously suggesting that people are losing out in this regard.

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